


Aquaphobia

by punkybunny



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Aquaphobia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25681198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkybunny/pseuds/punkybunny
Summary: "But there was one fear of his that he never told anyone about. The teen knew how embarrassing it would be if he revealed how he couldn't breathe, how he froze up near large bodies of water, how he dreaded the monthly swimming 'lessons'(he really just unleashed the students and let them play in the pool) his gym teacher scheduled for them. It was silly, he knew.Peter was afraid of water."The summary speaks for itself! This is a story about Peter being afraid of water and Tony comforting him.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 159





	Aquaphobia

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!! I'm here with another fluffy story(no one is surprised)! I guess this could have some angst but it's mainly fluffy :)  
> I don't have much to say about this one!  
> Enjoy!!!! <3

There were many different fears that plagued Peter over the course of his life. He always had a fear of planes since his parents flew in one when he was a child and never came home. That fear only doubled in size when he climbed across a quinjet on his homecoming night to stop the Vulture. Peter was also afraid of the sound of gunshots since the death of his uncle. Though with his occupation as Spider-man, he learned to slowly become numb to that fear. There was his fear of tight-spaces that began when he got a whole damn building dropped on him. 

But there was one fear of his that he never told anyone about. The teen knew how embarrassing it would be if he revealed how he couldn't breathe, how he froze up near large bodies of water, how he dreaded the monthly swimming 'lessons'(he really just unleashed the students and let them play in the pool) his gym teacher scheduled for them. It was silly, he knew. 

Peter was afraid of water.

His phobia started when the Vulture dropped him into that lake, his parachute wrapped around him, restricting him as he sank lower and lower, and he couldn't breathe. He couldn't _breathe_ and he couldn't move. He never figured out a solution or saved himself. Instead, he was rescued by an empty Iron Man suit and then scolded, even as the anxiety and adrenaline still thrummed through his veins.

When the Ferry incident occurred, Peter tried desperately to not stare down at the deep blue waves lapping the ship. He didn't want to think about falling in and sinking, sinking. Peter managed to somehow make it through that situation without taking any dips in the water below, but of course, Tony had to save him again for totally different reasons. 

It was a humiliating fear that he had kept at the back of his mind in shame. He never spoke about it. Not to Ned or May because he knew it was silly and as long as he just told everyone that he didn't swim because he couldn't (and, well, that was technically true), and not because he was afraid, then it was alright. 

But then Tony had asked Peter if he wanted to go on a day trip to a Long Island beach with him. Tony had said it would be 'an early birthday present' for Peter, but the teen knew that his mentor would still be giving him way too many gifts when his actual birthday arrived. 

Initially Peter wanted to tell Tony that he couldn't swim or that he wasn't a fan of beaches so maybe they could go someplace else, but he knew how much Tony enjoyed vacationing near water. The man had an affinity for the bright sun and an ocean view. Peter suspected that Tony's love for beaches stemmed back to his old home in Malibu. 

Honestly, Peter couldn't find it in him to decline. And maybe they wouldn't even go in the water. They could just relax on the sand and go out for lunch afterward. Peter had to admit, he was excited to try something to eat around there. Ever since the spider bite got rid of his allergies, Peter's discovered his love for seafood. Really, even though he'd be near the water, there was no reason he had to go in it. Yeah, he could definitely have fun.

And also, how could Peter decline some quality bonding time with his da- his mentor? They had been spending a lot of time together recently, with Peter actually an intern now. But it would still be nice to have a day where it was just the two of them and they didn't have to be cooped up in the lab. 

So ultimately this would be a good experience. Peter kept telling himself that as they packed for the trip. As they drove off down the highway, Tony blasting rock music and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. As his mentor announced that they would arrive in a half hour. As anxiety swelled inside of Peter's chest the closer they got to water. 

He wished he could blame the nauseous churning in his stomach to the 2 hour car ride and not to his anxiety. But he knew he didn't get car sick anymore, not since the bite. 

"Alright, here we are," Tony announced. 

Peter felt his heart stop and then rapidly speed up. His hands slightly shook with the thumping of his heart. They had arrived? Peter didn't think they were that close. But then he breathed in and the scent of salt water which he had been smelling for the past half hour came back strongly. He knew they still needed to walk a little bit to get to the shore and then to their spot, but he could hear the waves. The water, which was so unforgiving and erratic. 

Tony was waiting for a response, a reaction. Oh, yeah he had spoken. The car was stopped. Peter swallowed roughly and plastered on a small fake smile, mumbling, "Oh, _finally_." 

He must have put on a convincing enough act because his mentor scoffed and ruffled his hair, opening the car down with a dramatic, "Teenagers." 

Tony walked around to the back of the Audi to grab their supplies. But Peter remained sitting for a few more seconds, the adrenaline still coursing throughout his body, as he tried to take deep breaths. He was forced back into the moment when Tony called out, "You gonna help, Pete, or do I have to hold everything?" 

Peter stuttered out an apology as he rushed to exit the car(the wind from the ocean whipped against his face, the stench of salt water so much stronger) and grab their towels out of the trunk. Tony had their beach bag slung over his shoulder, and when the rest of the supplies were scooped up, he shut the trunk. 

"How're you doing?" His mentor asked, looking him up and down. Of course he could tell that something was up with Peter. He was always so perceptive with the boy, especially when he learned of Peter's tendency to hide injuries. "You didn't get sick, right?" 

Peter squished the bundle of towels against his chest with one hand, the other fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "No, I'm fine, Mr. Stark!" He tried to sound as chipper as he usually did. "I told you I don't get car sick anymore." 

Tony pursed his lips as the pair began walking down to the shore. Peter was worried he wouldn't believe him and would continue pressing, but to his surprise, Tony relented. "Okay, but if there's anything wrong, you can tell me, kid." 

Peter nodded silently, his gaze down on the sand in front of them. He didn't want to look at the waves, the dark rolling mass of water that wasn't even that far away anymore. Maybe if he convinced himself he wasn't near water- yeah, that wasn't a good plan. 

They made their way over to their spot, a large sandy area away from every other group of people. When they found it, Tony suddenly stopped and looked around, nodding in approval. He set down their towels and Peter helped, hoping to occupy his mind with the menial task for at least a few seconds.

They both sat down and Peter knew if it was sunnier out today then Tony would have brought one of those fancy beach umbrellas along too. And even though it wasn't too bright out, his mentor still plopped a tube of sunscreen into Peter's hands. With a huff, the teen slapped blobs of lotion on the back of his neck, forearms, and face. When Tony saw how he hardly rubbed the lotion in, he tutted and leaned forward to do it himself, all the while Peter tried to squirm out of his hold, sputtering that he wasn't a baby and could put his own sunscreen on. 

"Well, obviously you _can't_. You have to actually rub it in, kid." Tony gestured to Pete's shirt. "You planning on going for a dip? 'Cause then we have to put some on your back, too." 

Peter shook his head, and in order to not cause any suspicion, he answered, "Nah. Hey, you want to build a sandcastle?" He hoped his request wasn't too childish; he just wanted to change the topic before he inevitably panicked and his mind decided to replay memories of the Vulture 'dipping' him in a lake. 

Tony eyed him warily for a second(oh no what did Peter say-) before he smirked and opened up the beach bag, showing off the over-abundance of sandcastle building materials. "What do you wanna make?" 

The two of them kneeled in the sand and worked on building a desert town inspired by Tatooine. Peter looked up reference photos and rambled on about the Star Wars movies even though he had watched them with Tony before. It was something to get his mind off of the loud crashing of waves behind him. 

The two of them were very precise and patient when working with the sand, probably because of their experiences with engineering. Peter took photos when they were done and pretended not to notice the fond look Tony was giving him as he sent a text with the photos to Ned and then a quick one to May when she asked him if they had arrived safe. 

A particularly loud, strong wave pushed against the tide behind him and he felt the spray hit his back even from this distance. Peter tensed and stared at the sand mindlessly, his breathing picking up slightly. He was falling, he was hitting the water. The parachute was tangled around him. He couldn't breathe and he was falling, deeper and deeper. He was going to die, and it was so, so dark just like when the building fell on him. 

A crinkling of a bag next to him had Peter jerked out of his spiralling thoughts to see his mentor pulling out a couple snacks from the beach bag(he knew that Peter's super metabolism meant the teen had to have regular snack breaks). He looked up at Peter and from the look in his eyes, he probably didn't notice anything wrong with how the teen was acting. 

The boy swallowed and took a deep breath before heading back over to the towel and carefully sitting next to Tony. "What do you want to snack on, Pete?" 

Peter didn't hesitate to reach for a particular bag, "Goldfish, please!" Tony chuckled and tossed it over, the teen effortlessly snatching it from the air. 

They ate in silence for a bit, just listening to the cry of seagulls and the lapping of waves. Peter looked up at the pale blue sky and the fluffy clouds above them instead of the water. It was such a more beautiful shade of blue - a much more comforting one. 

But water wasn't. It was violent and destructive and unpredictable. Peter was starting to get a bit chilly, and it was reminding him of the chill that came with being submerged in water. Of sinking down until you couldn't see any light and the freeze of the water seeped into your very bones-

"Kid, can you please tell me what's bothering you?" Tony asked, his voice tinged with a familiar worry. "If you didn't want to come h-"

"No!" Peter rushed forward to dispel his mentor's concern. Why couldn't he have just faked it better? He didn't want to worry Mr. Stark. "I wanted to go! I-I'm having fun." 

" _But_?" How did Tony always know how Peter was feeling? 

"Um, but…" Peter didn't know if he should tell the truth or try to come up with a lie. He knew his fear was embarrassing and silly. Would Tony just be disappointed in him for not being strong enough?

Tony seemed to easily sense his hesitancy because he reached over and set a hand on Peter's shoulder, gently rubbing at the tense muscles. "Underoos, I just want to help." 

Well, here it goes. Peter inhaled and then with what little courage he had, he blurted, "I'mafraidofwater." 

He reluctantly peered to his side to see Tony blinking at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, kid, I literally have no clue what you said." 

"I… Um, it's kinda dumb. Well, very dumb. Ever since, uh… the V-vulture I've been… I'm afraid of water, Mr. Stark." The last words were spoken barely above a whisper, as Peter fiddled with his hands in his lap.

There was silence for a beat and Peter tensed yet again, worried that Tony would erupt into laughter any second now. What kind of teenager was afraid of something as simple as _water_? Peter was acting like a child. 

But then the hand that had dropped from his shoulder, came back up to grip it again and turn the teen to face Tony. "Petey, look at me." 

After a moment of refusing to meet the man's gaze and instead staring at the threads of towel beneath them, a gentle hand pinched his chin and lifted it up. When Peter saw how genuinely concerned Tony's eyes looked, he felt his lip tremble. He began to ramble. "It's silly, I know. I didn't want to tell anyone because w-what kind of superhero develops a phobia of water? I-I really wanted to have fun with you today, I'm sorry-"

"Kid, you don't need to apologise because you're afraid of something. That's not your fault. If anything, I'm at fault because I took you to a fucking _beach_ when you're afraid of water." 

"You didn't know," Peter mumbled.

"You're right, I didn't. And you know what, it doesn't matter who's at fault. That's not important. What's important is that you're okay." Tony kept one hand on Peter's shoulder and the teen couldn't help but scooch closer, towards comfort. 

"I-I'm alright. I just-" He glanced at the ocean and quickly looked back to his mentor. "-I… I keep feeling like I'm back there and I know it's dumb, but sometimes it's like I'm still drowning." Peter stopped to breathe, and he was immediately hit with guilt for dropping everything on Mr. Stark. He already went to Tony whenever he had a nightmare while staying at the tower. But those were usually about a building dropping on him or crashing a plane, not being dropped into a lake. 

"Pete, you may not believe me, but I think it makes sense that you would feel anxious coming here after almost drowning. And it's not dumb. I don't know how much you need me to tell you that, but your feelings aren't 'dumb'." For some reason, those words were all Peter needed to hear to make him start crying, tears upon tears trailing down his cheeks. Tony's gaze somehow softened even more as he pulled the teen close against his chest, his strong arms feeling like a safety net. 

They sat like that for a couple minutes, but it felt like hours. Peter blubbered out apologies and Tony soothed him, his hand combing through the boy's curls. It felt nice to finally get it off his chest, just like it had whenever he told Tony about his fears. His mentor had never judged him before so why had he believed he would this time? Of course he could always count his father figure(don't tell Tony) to never judge him and keep him feeling safe. 

When Peter eventually pulled away with a sniffle, feeling lighter than ever, Tony quietly asked, "Is there anything you need from me?" 

Peter chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think so. Just telling someone about it was therapeutic enough." Then he paused and an absolutely terrifying idea came to him. But he couldn't let his fear stop him from going near water forever. "Um, well, maybe…" He hesitated.

Tony encouraged him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it? Spit it out, bud." 

"Could you maybe teach me to swim?" 

He must have caught Tony off guard because his mentor just stared at him for a second or two, before asking, "Really? You want to just jump right in? I mean, if you think it would help… Are you sure?" 

Peter chewed at his bottom lip in thought. He knew he needed to learn someday and maybe he would feel less nervous if he had pleasant experiences with swimming. Experiences that weren't just 'swimming' at school where he would hide in the locker room or wade in the shallows while fighting an anxiety attack and trying to ignore Flash's berating. "Yeah, I think it would be good for me. A-and I trust you." The last part was added quietly.

Tony smiled wide and nodded resolutely. Then he was standing up and pulling Peter to his feet. Oh, this was happening. "Alright! _Now_ you're gonna need that sunscreen on your back."

Tony was already ready to go in his shorts and swim shirt. Peter quickly took off his t-shirt, left in only his trunks, before he rubbed lotion onto his back. When they were both ready, they headed towards the waves, past their sand town. Peter's heart rate increased with every step they took and he desperately wished to just run back to their car and ask to go home. And he knew Tony would do just that if Peter asked. 

No. He was Spider-man. He needed to get over this. A glance up showed Tony giving him a worried look, so Peter quickly flashed him a small smile. He had Tony with him. He'd be okay.

His mentor easily walked a couple steps past the shore - the water going just a little bit past his ankles - and waited patiently for Peter to follow after him. The shallows weren't that scary, it was the thought of being submerged, of the waves getting stronger and stronger. 

Peter took a step and felt the chill of the water against his feet, the sloppy mixture of sand and water creating a strange texture. He tried to control his breathing, focus on that and the encouraging presence of Mr. Stark. Before he knew it, the teen was standing next to Tony, his hands trembling and his breaths back to their erratic rhythm, but he was there. He had made it a couple steps. 

"Good job, kiddo," Mr. Stark murmured, a spark of pride in his eyes. Peter faintly blushed at the praise and shuffled his feet, gently kicking at the water to see how well he could move. "Let's keep going." 

They both kept moving deeper, the waves hitting them not too harshly. But whenever a strong one came by, Peter would freeze and scoot closer to Tony. When they eventually reached waist-high water levels, Peter was close to full-on hyperventilating, shaking his head. "Mr. Stark, I don't know about this, I-I…" He started to turn around but Tony gently grabbed his hand. 

"Petey, it's alright. We won't go any farther, okay? I really believe you can do this." He paused for a moment, gaging the teen's reaction. Peter was trying to catch his breath, eyes darting around in worry. "Or if you want to go back we can. I won't force you if you're not ready."

Peter shook his head, moving back to stand close to his mentor. "N-no, you're right. Um, what's first?"

Tony ruffled his hair affectionately. "Alright, first we need to make sure you know how to float." Tony lay back and effortlessly began floating atop the waves. He made it look so easy. Peter couldn't help the part at the back of his mind that was worried for his mentor(what if he got pushed under?), but then Tony was standing back up and shrugging. "Yep, that's it. I can help you by holding you up first and then letting you float by yourself."

Peter nodded absentmindedly, adrenaline thumping through his heart. Could he do this? Tony must have read his thoughts again because he put a warm hand on his shoulder. "I'm right here with you, Pete. Nothing's gonna happen." 

So Peter slowly lay back, Tony's hands under his back. He could smell the salt water so strongly now, the lapping of waves a cacophony of sound in his ears. He was so close to the water now, it wouldn't take much for him to be swept under. But it only went up to his waist; could he even drown?

And then the hands were gone and Peter was about to start thrashing, fear pounding through him, but he realized that he was floating. He was actually _floating_ atop the water and he wasn't even trying. He wasn't falling and he wouldn't if he continued to remain calm. He tried to breathe deeply yet again.

Peter stood up after a few more moments and grinned widely at his mentor. "I-I did it!" 

"I'm so proud of you, bud," Tony responded, sounding equally as delighted as he pulled Peter into a one-armed hug. "The next step is going under the water. Just a quick dunk and then we can go from there. Do you think you can do that?" 

Peter's excitement from successfully floating was still causing a boost in confidence, so he hardly paused before nodding eagerly. Peter eyed the waves underneath him warily before taking a deep breath and plunging under. 

But right when his head was underwater, the teen felt a harsh panic take place of his excitement. Suddenly Peter was back in the sky, being tossed around by the Vulture, staring at bright green eyes that filled every nightmare of his. He was tossed into the lake and his parachute was restricting his movements. He thrashed and gasped for air, sinking deeper as darkness surrounded him.

Then he was being saved by Iron Man, brought to safety. But this time there weren't metal arms around him, but warm, strong ones instead. And safety wasn't a random park and a heated suit, it was his face pressed to the chest of his father figure. "I've got you. It's okay now, kiddo, you're safe. Shh, I'm here."

Peter gasped and sputtered, tears streaking down his face for the second time in the past hour. "I-I'm sorry," he choked out, fingers grasping at Tony's swim shirt. "I thought I could do it."

"It's alright. Breathe, Pete. Follow my breathing." Tony made a show of breathing evenly, in and out. Peter pressed his face further into his mentor's chest and shakily tried to mimic the breaths. In and out. In and out. In and out. 

A couple minutes later, Tony began wading the two of them back to the sandy shore, and Peter peered up to see the man's pinched expression. "Sorry," he mumbled yet again. 

"If I hear another apology out of your mouth again you're grounded." 

Peter blinked. Then he giggled at Tony's obvious attempt at lightening the mood. It was just such a dad thing to say. 

The boy began wading along with him to alleviate some of his weight off of Tony. The man always complained about his back and honestly, half the time Peter couldn't tell if he was joking or not. If he could walk, then he'd rather not rely on Tony. 

His mentor began quietly gathering everything up, putting their belongings back in the bag and folding the towels. Peter snatched the bag from Tony this time, knowing it was packed and with his super strength, it just made sense for him to carry it. 

"Hey, um, Mr. Stark?" 

Tony turned to him. "Yeah, kid?" 

"Thanks. For everything. For taking me here - I really did have fun! W-when I wasn't having an anxiety attack… But seriously, it's very pretty and um… thanks for being there for me when I was freaking out. Maybe another time we can try the swimming lessons again?" 

Tony grinned and slung an arm over Peter's shoulders. "Of course, kid! You know I'm always here for you if you need me. Always. Oh, and we have a pool at the Compound, you know? I bet that it would be _much_ better for learning than the open ocean."

Peter nodded grimly. "Honestly, though, I had fun! Thanks again, Mr. Stark." 

"What, you think our trip's over? We still have to eat lunch." Tony leaned over to rest his cheek on Peter's curls. "I know a really good seafood place around here." 

"Oh, _hell yeah!_ "

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all liked it!! Does anyone else wish Tony was their dad or is that just me???


End file.
